mardi 27 décembre 2011

France / Algeria: "The colonial crimes were a genocide" *

By encouraging Paris to put its own house before condemning the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish Prime Minister has paved the way for Algerian historians: yes, genocide was indeed committed in the former colony.The historian and former president of the association's May 8, 1945 [April 27, 2008, France recognized that "appalling massacre" took place in Setif, Guelma and Kherrata (in the east) on 8 May 1945, Mohamed El-Korso **, does not mince words. For him, it is undeniable that the word "genocide" applies perfectly to the crimes perpetrated by colonial France in Algeria.

The gaping wounds of Algeria.

Joint December 24, 2011 by phone, he responded to the controversy raging between Paris and Ankara in abundance in the direction of Prime Minister Erdogan: "When you have a colonel of colonization that says: I cut the heads', he not talking about cutting the heads of artichokes, but those of Algerians. The intent to liquidate by the sword and the gun is real and not fictitious.The "enfumades" and "walling" that decimated whole tribes, how to call it? he insists, before launching: "Colonel Montagnac said: 'Kill all the men from the age of 15.' Do this, this is not a genocide? The Cavaignac, Bugeaud, Pelissier did not come on holiday. They came to liquidate an entire people and they could not take the place of what they called the natives without commit genocide. "Mohamed El-Korso provides some enlightening facts about it: "The colonial army experimented with extermination by gas a century before Nazi Germany. Enfumades The Dahra and walled up in the - in the region of Mostaganem - the (tribes ) Sbehas in June 1844 by Colonel Cavaignac and Ouled Riah June 19, 1854 by Colonel Pélissier, lime kilns Guelma (May 1945), the wine tanks (1957) settlers from Tlemcen, Sidi Bel-Abbes or Zéralda, the gassing of the inhabitants of Dahra who had fled Layachine Ghar (1959) "- to name but a few - are by no means a figment of the imagination.
The mass grave Chréa, in the province of Tebessa, with no fewer than 651 dead bodies says a lot about "the work accomplished by France in Algeria" (El-Watan of May 14, 2005).

Did comparison of genocides absolves the criminals?

Returning to the Franco-Turkish crisis, Mohamed El-Korso considers that the French attitude in this case is "schizophrenic": "France is used to give lessons to others, then it would be better to teach her own. It's a schizophrenic attitude. We recognize the crimes of others, but not his own crimes. Sarkozy invited each country to look at his past and to draw appropriate conclusions. Is that France has the courage to look his? Instead, they established a foundation for the writing of history to whitewash the crimes of colonialism. "Professor El-Korso notes that "it is the French Parliament is writing history." He recalled the episode in this case the law of 23 February 2005 recognizing the "positive role" of colonialism and the passing of a law on the harkis.Mohamed El-Korso welcomes the position of the Turkish Prime Minister. "Erdogan's attitude is worthy. It's a real shock," he enthuses. The French attitude vis-à-vis Turkey is not culturalist, but highly political. It is a provocation. Erdogan and the reaction is a measure of this provocation. "For him, the timing of that Act betrays the "electoral referred.""Sarkozy is clear these issues on the eve of every presidential election, as was the case in 2005. Sarkozy had finished his presidential campaign in southern France, Montpellier, Perpignan and Toulon, home to many Blackfoot and former members of the OAS [Organization of the secret army]. France has never had a president as provocative ", asserts there.
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• Mustapha Benfodil article published in El-Watan taken over by international mail December 26, 2011.
• Mohamed El-Korso, former president of the association's May 8, 1945 which requires the recognition by France of the massacres of Setif, Guelma and Kherrata (East) committed in May 1945 by the French army and their characterization as "crimes against humanity ".

He is Professor of History at the University of Algiers. He is the founder and director of the Laboratory of history on colonization (LAHISCO).

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Born August 18, 1953 at Mugwata, North Kivu, DRC. Degree in History at the University of Lubumbashi. Degree in Development Studies at the University of Geneva. Author: République Démocratique du Congo. Les générations condamnées. Déliquescence d’une société pré-capitaliste (D.R.C.. Generations convicted) Publibook, Paris, 2006. L’Envers du parchemin (The other side of the parchment), novel, Publibook, Paris, 2006. Dictionnaire biographique des Africains (Biographical Dictionary of Africans), Editions Le Cri, Bruxelles, 2012. All his books have been published by NENA (Nouvelles Editions Numériques Africaines)and are available online now.